How We Help
The areas in which we believe we add the most value to our clients include the following:
Where to Apply
Our deep knowledge of the academic strengths, social characteristics, and special programs at top universities, combined with our extensive experience reviewing admissions results, allows us to help students put together an optimal list of schools to which they should consider applying. Our experience allows us to provide objective information about a multitude of colleges. This is often a more time-consuming process than is generally understood.
Gaining Admittance
Syzygy does not “get a student into university.” It is the abilities of the student that largely determine his or her admissions outcome. However, by helping students craft their applications and understand the individual application preferences of each university, we put them in a better position to succeed.
Essay Writing
The Common App and university-specific essays serve the purpose that interviews once had in the admissions process: a chance to shine in the eyes of the admissions officers who read them. Syzygy has a core team of essay specialists who work very closely with our students, helping them to best express themselves in this important and often very time-consuming written work. Those unfamiliar with the process often underestimate the number of essays and the amount of time needed for most students to craft polished applications.
School Visits
We plan and organize college visit itineraries for our clients. Our knowledge of the local geographies and individual university offerings helps our clients optimize their time and makes for more productive visits. Additionally, through our broad network of relationships, we can arrange campus meetings with students, professors, and administrators, greatly enhancing the standard information sessions and tours offered by each university.
Standardized Testing Strategies
We help students with important decisions regarding standardized test-taking, including choosing between the ACT and the SAT and how best to apply to test-optional schools. We have long-standing relationships with a broad range of ACT/SAT preparation companies and private tutors. Although we do not provide tutoring ourselves, our knowledge of the process and our close relationships with tutors help provide the best outside support to maximize the chances of improving a student’s test scores. We maintain close contact with these tutors throughout the full term of our work with the student to ensure we are well briefed on the student’s progress and aligned with the tutor to best serve each student’s needs. Furthermore, in many cases, the strength of these relationships results in our clients receiving exceptional, high quality tutoring at a substantially discounted price.
Advisory services for students with learning differences
Our team has assisted many students with various learning differences over the years. Depending on the needs of the individual student, the range of services we offer in this area include: introductions to learning difference specialists (including educational psychologists and standardized testing tutors); review and evaluation of educational psychology reports and accommodations suggested for secondary/high school and standardized testing; assistance with registration for accommodations with both the ACT and SAT Boards; ongoing support regarding timing and execution of required steps involved in the university admissions process; advice on disclosure of learning differences in the Common Application and university-specific essays; provision of updated and relevant information relating to formal and informal support available for students with learning differences at prospective universities; and post-enrollment guidance regarding accommodations to be requested and how to best liaise with the university’s office for students with learning differences.
Specialized Expertise (Academic, Sports and Arts)
Many of our clients have special talents and interests that they are committed to continuing at the university level. At Syzygy, we have built a team of experts with deep industry experience and expertise in a broad range of sports, arts and academic areas to advise our clients throughout the admissions process. These experts assist our clients in several areas including: creating list of targeted universities; specific application requirements (i.e., portfolio preparation, sports videos); and communication with relevant university departments and faculty members/coaches.
Interview Coaching
Many of our clients are required to participate in interviews for a variety of academic and professional endeavors, including college admissions, merit-based and other scholarships, and work internships. We work closely with our clients to help prepare them for these interviews. Our interview coaching services include: assisting the students with researching and understanding the position or role for which they are interviewing; helping the students enhance their self-understanding and self-awareness; providing advice regarding the students’ presentation skills; and mock interviewing.
Communication and Cooperation with Secondary Schools
Secondary schools are required to submit four major pieces of information to universities: school profile; transcript; counselor reference; and two teacher references. When helpful, we use our knowledge and experience from teaching and counseling in international secondary schools to assist our students’ counselors with better representing a given student’s activities and accomplishments in a way that makes sense to admissions officers.
Extracurricular Activities
In addition to academics, extracurricular activities continue to play an important role in college admissions decisions. We assist our students in their efforts to identify and secure extracurricular activities outside of their school environment including work experience, summer programs (academic, leadership-focused, and other), as well as academic and other courses.
Merit-based Scholarships and Special Programs
Our students have won nine Robertson Scholarships in the last twelve years. This scholarship pays all university expenses including tuition, room, board, and books for all four years at Duke University or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Our students were awarded merit-based scholarships in 2024 at the following universities: University of Arizona, American University of Paris, University of California Davis, Case Western Reserve University, Chapman University, Clemson University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Denver, Inidana University, Loyola University, Macalester College, University of Miami, University of Oregon, Pepperdine University, Santa Clara University, Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, and University of Vermont.
Additional Services
Depending on the specific needs of the student, Syzygy also adds value in many other areas including: mentoring; study habits; course selection; video portfolios; resumes; and post-acceptance protocol.